A One Health Approach
Smart autonomus vital signs and air quality collection device
Summary
Our team has developed a concept and prototype of a device that measures heart rate, blood oxygenation, respiratory rate, body temperature, ambient temperature, pressure, humidity and air pollution.This data is transmitted via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi protocols in any convenient way to an Internet server or phone for further analysis and diagnostics.
How We Addressed This Challenge
The device, created to determine whether a person has the most common infectious diseases, is based on the operation of two primary sensors: a sensor under the nose and a built-in pulse oximeter on the earlobe. The first sensor determines the frequency of expirations, and the second - the heart rate and the degree of blood oxygenation.
With the help of temperature, pressure, and humidity sensors, the frequency of exhalation is determined, the value of which increases (so-called "shortness of breath" is observed) in case of lung damage in infectious diseases (coronavirus, pneumonia, tubercle bacillus, adenovirus). Also, a method of measuring data using a plate is being tested, which creates a voltage from the air's vibration near the nose (the so-called microphone).
The second sensor works as follows: it is located on the surface of the skin, consists of two LEDs, red and infrared, which alternately send light pulses and a light catcher. The amount of absorbed and bounced light depends on the amount of oxygen in the blood, which makes it possible to measure the heart rate (HR) and the degree of oxygenation of the blood (the degree of its saturation with oxygen).
A decrease in blood oxygen saturation and an increase in heart rate is a consequence of affected alveoli (small sacs through the thin walls of which gas exchange with blood occurs) since it is usually observed when the lungs are affected by infections.
Damage to the alveoli and their further trauma leads to the partial release of their filler - surfactant into the interalveolar space, which interferes and sometimes stops the ingress of oxygen into the blood. A drop in oxygen levels in the blood causes the heart to contract more often - that is, it causes tachycardia and also causes arrhythmias - an irregular heartbeat.
Changes in all three parameters (frequency of breathing, heart rate, and degree of blood oxygenation), which are measured by the DetectorMask, are always observed in diseases such as COVID-19, pneumonia, tuberculosis and are among the main signs for determining infectious lung diseases.
How We Developed This Project
We found which indicators most often affect the vital signs in inflammation of acute respiratory diseases and began to look for which sensors we need. Having connected the pulse oximetry sensors and checked them, we thought about how we can measure the respiratory rate. The best method turned out to be spirometry, the direct recording of inhalation and exhalation of air from the nose. Having developed a special algorithm that calculates the frequency of respiratory movements using a temperature sensor and a microphone, we began to solve the following problem. How to transfer data? Since now everyone has a smartphone at hand. We chose the ESP32 controller, which immediately turns on the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth transmission protocols. We have developed an application that displays the received data from the mask.
How We Used Space Agency Data in This Project
In 2020, the Coronavirus was rapidly spread around the world, including Ukraine. In the news, information began to appear about a large number of infected. Schools, kindergartens, shopping centers, and sports clubs were closed. At the same time, there weren’t enough tests for the diagnostic of COVID-19.
Then we wondered: how can u recognize COVID-19 without being in the laboratory?
To do this, we conducted research on the symptoms of coronavirus and how these symptoms can be tracked using robotics.
We came up with a smart mask that can analyze, do the pre-diagnosis of acute respiratory illness. This self-contained mask is primarily intended for doctors, patients, teachers, vendors, and workers, who are required to work during the quarantine. I hope my invention can prevent viruses from spreading and save humans life.
Project Demo
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1AMHdVXmxuu03MhXO05Vd6j3-qWdyctuI-ZBUaEG_Gqs/edit?usp=sharing
Data & Resources
https://earthdata.nasa.gov/learn/pathfinders/covid-19